Marriage contract no. 319: Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel - Preußen

Contract content

Preamble: Invocation of God, to whose praise and honor both houses shall be united and a lasting friendship shall arise therefrom

Article 1: A dowry of 40,000 Reichstalers shall be paid four weeks after consummation of the marriage, against receipt

Article 2: A further 60,000 Reichstaler promised as paraphernal money shall be invested in the Kur-Märckische Landschaft, interest shall amount to 3,000 Reichstaler annually from the consummation of the marriage, receipt mentioned.

Article 3: Trousseau befitting a daughter of the King of Prussia mentioned, corresponding list named.

Article 4: Renunciation of inheritance regulated; without male heirs, the princess and her heirs shall receive shares in the allodial inheritance

Article 5: Succession and inheritance rights to the lands and provinces of Cleves and Jülich regulated; Philippine Charlotte and her heirs may only ascend the throne if there are no other male heirs with corresponding rights.

Article 6: Ludwig Rudolph and Ferdinand Albrecht promise a morning gift after consummation of the marriage, in the form of 4,000 Reichstalers and a jewel, with annual interest of 400 Reichstalers; corresponding letter mentioned.

Article 7: Pocket money and play money in the amount of 2,000 Reichstalers is agreed, to be paid out at 500 Reichstalers per quarter for as long as the marriage lasts.

Article 8: List of servants to be hired and their maintenance; no servants are to be newly hired or dismissed without Ferdinand Albrecht’s knowledge or consent.

Article 9: Ludwig Rudolph promises an annual pension of 2,000 Reichstalers upon the birth of the first prince, payable at 500 Reichstalers per quarter for as long as the marriage lasts or she does not renounce her widowhood

Article 10: Promise of a donation propter nuptias of further 40,000 talers; widow’s dower settled at 14,000 talers per annum

Article 11: All funds brought into the marriage shall be insured in the offices of Schönigen, Warberg, and Voigtsdahlum; if these are not sufficient, the Königslutter office shall also be included; these widow’s dower offices shall provide goods worth a further 2,000 Reichstalers in the form of, among other things, game, fish, and poultry; if the income of 16,000 talers from the widow’s dower offices is not achieved, the shortfall shall be made up by the ruling duke and his descendants; Any surplus income shall initially accrue to the ruling duke and his descendants.

Article 12: Upon taking possession, the dower shall be furnished with, among other things, a silver service worth 4,000 Reichstalers, furniture, a carriage with six horses, and other household goods.

Article 13: Should the princess remarry, the dower shall be left as found and recorded in an inventory.

Article 14: Hereditary homage and the swearing of oaths after consummation of the marriage by officials are mentioned.

Article 15: Rules of conduct regarding the dower are established.

Article 16: The princess shall not be burdened with debts or damages incurred on the dower property prior to her moving in; these shall be the responsibility of the ruling duke and his successors; however, should the princess incur debts during her widowhood, she and her descendants shall be liable for them.

Article 17: Should damage occur as a result of war or other misfortune, the ruling duke and his descendants are required to remedy it

Article 18: If changes are to be made to the dower, these must not result in a reduction in its yield and must be agreed upon by the ruling duke and his descendants

Article 19: If the princess dies without leaving any living heirs, the marriage money (40,000 Reichstaler) and the paraphernal money (60,000 Reichstaler) shall revert to the King of Prussia or his descendants to the crown; However, as long as Carl is alive, he shall have access to the 40,000 Reichstaler and may also receive interest from the 60,000 Taler of the paraphernal money investment.

Article 20: If there are heirs and they survive Philippine Charlotte, they shall inherit not only the dowry but also the paraphernal money and anything else the princess brought into the marriage.

Article 21: If Carl dies before Philippine, regardless of whether he has legitimate heirs, she shall be able to dispose of her dowry, the donation propter nuptias, and the castle, towns, and offices bequeathed to her, as long as she does not renounce her widowhood.

Article 22: If the income from the widow’s dower is insufficient, the ruling duke or his descendants shall provide for adequate compensation.

Article 23: Should the princess remarry, she shall be redeemed accordingly and relinquish her widow’s estate; if there are joint male legitimate heirs, the redemption shall be effected by the payment of the marriage money and half of the donation propter nuptias; if the ruling duke and his descendants do not wish to pay the corresponding donation propter nuptias sum directly, it shall be insured and bear interest at 10% per annum so that the princess can make use of it from quarter to quarter; only then shall the princess be required to leave the dower with all its appurtenances

Article 24: If the princess dies, the donation propter nuptias shall fall to Duke Carl and the jointly acquired heirs.

Article 25: However, if there are no corresponding heirs, the marriage money and the paraphernalia money shall be bequeathed to the King of Prussia and his heirs, while the donation propter nuptias shall fall to Duke Carl and his heirs and descendants.

Article 26: However, the princess shall have access to the marriage money and the paraphernal money throughout her life

Article 27: If the princess incurs debts with the prior knowledge and consent of the ruling duke, these shall be paid by him or his heirs and descendants, without the princess being burdened with them

Article 28: If one of the bride and groom should die after the consummation of the marriage and before the payment of the marriage money, it is agreed that all relevant provisions shall nevertheless be complied with; if death should occur before the consummation of the marriage, the provisions of the contract shall be considered null and void.

Article 29: Declaration by both parties to abide by the contract, also signed by the ruling Duke Ludwig Rudolph and Duke Ferdinand Albrecht; two copies of the contract are mentioned.

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 5: Succession and inheritance rights to the lands and provinces of Cleves and Jülich regulated; Philippine Charlotte and her heirs may only ascend the throne if there are no other male heirs with corresponding rights.

Confessional regulations

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 19: If the princess dies without leaving any living heirs, the marriage money (40,000 Reichstaler) and the paraphernal money (60,000 Reichstaler) shall revert to the King of Prussia or his descendants to the crown; However, as long as Carl is alive, he shall have access to the 40,000 Reichstaler and may also receive interest from the 60,000 Taler of the paraphernal money investment.

Article 20: If there are heirs and they survive Philippine Charlotte, they shall inherit not only the dowry but also the paraphernal money and anything else the princess brought into the marriage.

Article 23: Should the princess remarry, she shall be redeemed accordingly and relinquish her widow’s estate; if there are joint male legitimate heirs, the redemption shall be effected by the payment of the marriage money and half of the donation propter nuptias; if the ruling duke and his descendants do not wish to pay the corresponding donation propter nuptias sum directly, it shall be insured and bear interest at 10% per annum so that the princess can make use of it from quarter to quarter; only then shall the princess be required to leave the dower with all its appurtenances

Article 24: If the princess dies, the donation propter nuptias shall fall to Duke Carl and the jointly acquired heirs.

Article 25: However, if there are no corresponding heirs, the marriage money and the paraphernalia money shall be bequeathed to the King of Prussia and his heirs, while the donation propter nuptias shall fall to Duke Carl and his heirs and descendants.

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles.

Literature

References

• Archive copy: NLA WO, 3 Urk, 2 Nr. 143
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 319. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/319.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 319},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/319.html}
}